LAKE FOREST, Ill. — Everything you need to know from Thursday at Halas Hall:

1. Matt Forte admitted he thinks about the Hall of Fame. The Bears running back is now the 20th player in the history of the NFL to reach 7000 rushing yards and 3000 receiving yards and he tied Marshall Faulk as the second fastest player to reach that mark. The fastest was Thurman Thomas. Faulk and Thomas, of course, are both in the Hall of Fame.

“I do think about it sometimes,” Forte said when asked about the Hall of Fame. “I mean, that’s a goal, is to obviously play to where you’re considered one of the best to play it and be considered for the Hall of Fame. As of right now, if I stopped playing today, I don’t think I would be in the Hall of Fame. So that is obviously a motivation for me to keep being successful and trying to play at the top of my game every game.”

Forte is only 28 years old, but is now in his seventh NFL season. He’s also on pace for more than 387 touches this season, which is why the Bears have started to hold him out of practice on Wednesdays — a trend that could continue for the rest of the season.

“I feel really good right now, so I kind of feel like I could play a long time, but I never really put a number on it,” Forte said.

Back in training camp, quarterback Jay Cutler said Forte still looked like a 24-year-old. It’s hard to argue with that statement, as Forte has piled up 399 rushing yards on 99 carries and 376 receiving yards on 46 receptions this season.

“I wouldn’t trade him for anybody,” Cutler said Thursday.

2. Forte says his hands have improved. On Monday, when Marc Trestman was asked how Forte has ascended as a player, he said he hadn’t “seen any ascending.” It was meant as a compliment though.

“He’s been playing at a high level as a receiver since the day we walked in here,” Trestman said.

That’s true, but it doesn’t mean Forte hasn’t done things to improve, especially when it comes to receiving.

“Continuing to work on it, my hands have gotten, I think, a little better year by year,” Frote said. “Not like a ton better, but just in making different catches. I guess looking the ball in more sometimes, sometimes you can get a little complacent about it and drop an easy pass. Route running, too. Sometimes I’ll watch the receivers and how they run their routes against man coverage and stuff, because most of the time if I’m going to get the ball out on a route, if it’s not a check down, it will be in man coverage. So I watch what they do and try to implement some of those techniques in my route.”

Cutler agreed that Forte’s hands have gotten better, saying that the running back is not a “body catcher” anymore.

3. Thursday marked the first time since Week 1 that the entire starting offensive line practiced together. Left tackle Jermon Bushrod (right knee/ankle) was able to practice in full, while right tackle Jordan Mills, who sat out Wednesday’s practice, came back in a limited capacity.

Both players appear on track to start Sunday against the Dolphins, which would also be the first time that has happened since Week 1 when the Bears lost center Roberto Garza and left guard Matt Slauson to high ankle sprains.

As for Michael Ola, who has filled in admirably at left tackle and left guard this season, he’ll go back to being the sixth-man, despite some wondering if he could push Mills for the starting right tackle job. Offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer made it clear Thursday that Mills is still one of their top five offensive linemen.

“He has had 20 good football games for the Chicago Bears,” Kromer said. “When no one counted on him last year he went out and blocked defensive end after defensive end in pass and the run. Jordan Mills is a good football player.”

For those counting, Mills has played 21 games for the Chicago Bears.

4. Mills said Trestman wanted to “choke him” after his false start on the first play of the game Sunday against the Falcons. The message all week long was “no pre-snap penalties” and the right tackle committed one right away.

“Coach Trestman came to me after the game and was like, ‘I wanted to choke you,'” Mills said.

The right tackle was so upset with himself that he said, “I wanted to take my helmet off and destroy it.”

5. The hit Jay Cutler took from Paul Worrilow was not the worst one he has taken this season. Even though his head slammed hard on the turf, Cutler said the shot he took from the 49ers’ Quinton Dial straight to the sternum was worse.

“It’s not even close. That one I felt like I was about to die,” he said.

6. Worriow was not fined for the late-hit on Cutler. He did not hear the whistle, so the league did not fine him.

That means Bears safety Ryan Mundy was fined for a hit that did not result in a penalty and Worrilow was not fined for a hit that did result in a penalty.

7. Lance Briggs (ribs/shoulder) is still day-to-day. He has not practiced since he suffered the injury Oct. 5 against the Panthers.

8. Jon Bostic (back) and D.J. Williams (neck) are getting healthier. Bostic practiced in a limited capacity for the second straight day, while Williams returned to practice after suffering a setback last weekend. Neither player was able to play against the Falcons.

9. Chris Conte’s status is unclear, which means Brock Vereen could get his first NFL start. Conte (shoulder) did not practice Thursday and Trestman would not provide any updates on his status for Sunday’s game. Vereen took over for Conte Sunday instead of Danny McCray, which means the rookie fourth-round pick might get the call against the Dolphins if Conte is ruled out.

“(Vereen is) working and we’re rotating three guys around,” Trestman said. “He’s certainly getting enough work to be one of those guys and be that guy who can start.”

10. Dolphins left tackle Branden Albert (elbow) was limited for the second straight day. Cornerback Cortland Finnegan (neck) and running back Lamar Miller (knee) are also dealing with injuries and were limited.

Adam Hoge covers the Bears for 87.7 The Game and TheGameChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter at @AdamHoge.